ADHAR, A GREAT DEVOTEE of Sri Ramakrishna, lived in Sobhabazar in the
northern section of Calcutta. Almost every day, after finishing his
hard work at the office and returning home in the late afternoon, he
paid Sri Ramakrishna a visit. From his home in Calcutta he would go to
Dakshineswar in a hired carriage. His sole delight was to visit the Master.
But he would hear very little of what Sri Ramakrishna said; for, after saluting
the Master and visiting the temples, he would lie down, at the Master's
request, on a mat spread on the floor and would soon fall asleep. At nine or
ten o'clock he would he awakened to return home. However, he considered
himself blessed to be able to visit the God-man of Dakshineswar. At Adhar's
request Sri Ramakrishna often visited his home. His visits were occasions for
religious festivals. Devotees in large numbers would assemble, and Adhar
would feed them sumptuously. One day, while Sri Ramakrishna was visiting
his home, Adhar said to him: "Sir, you haven't come to our house for a long
time. The rooms seemed gloomy; they had a musty smell. But today the
whole house is cheerful; the sweetness of your presence fills the atmosphere.
Today I called on God earnestly. I even shed tears while praying." "Is that
so?" the Master said tenderly, casting a kindly glance on his disciple.

Sri Ramakrishna arrived at Adhar's house with his attendants. Everyone
was in a joyous mood. Adhar had arranged a rich feast. Many strangers were
present. At Adhar's invitation, several other deputy magistrates had come;
they wanted to watch the Master and judge his holiness. Among them was
Bankim Chandra Chatterji, perhaps the greatest literary figure of Bengal
during the later part of the nineteenth century. He was one of the creators
of modern Bengali literature and wrote on social and religious subjects.
Bankim was a product of the contact of India with England. He gave modern
interpretations of the Hindu scriptures and advocated drastic social reforms.

Sri Ramakrishna had been talking happily with the devotees when Adhar
introduced several of his personal friends to him.

ADHAR (introducing Banking): "Sir, he is a great scholar and has written
many books. He has come here to see you. His name is Bankim Babu."

MASTER (smiling): "Bankim!
(Literally the word means "bent" or "curved".) Well, what has made you bent?")

MASTER: "No, my dear sir! Sri Krishna was bent on account of His
ecstatic love. His body was bent in three places owing to His love for Radha.
That is how some people explain Sri Krishna's form. Do you know why He
has a deep-blue complexion? And why He is of such small stature — only
three and a half cubits measured by His own hand? God looks so as long
as He is seen from a distance. So the water of the ocean looks blue from
afar. But if you go near the ocean and take the water in your hand, you
will no longer find it blue; it will be very clear, transparent. So the sun
appears small because it is very far away; if you go near it, you will no
longer find it small. When one knows the true nature of God, He appears
neither blue nor small. But that is a far-off vision: one does not see it except
in samadhi. As long as 'I' and you' exist, name and form will also exist.
Everything is God's lila, His sportive pleasure. As long as a man is conscious
of 'I' and 'you', he will experience the manifestations of God through diverse
forms.

"Sri Krishna is the Purusha; Srimati (Radhika, the Divine Consort of Krishna.)
is His Sakti, the Primal Power. The
two are Purusha and Prakriti. What is the meaning of the Yugala Murti,
the conjoined images of Radha and Krishna? It is that Purusha and Prakriti
are not different; there is no difference between them. Purusha cannot exist
without Prakriti, and Prakriti cannot exist without Purusha. If you mention
the one, the other is understood. It is like fire and its power to burn: one
cannot think of fire without its power to burn; again, one cannot think of
fire's power to burn without fire. Therefore in the conjoined images of
Radha and Krishna, Krishna's eyes are fixed on Radha and Radha's on
Krishna. Radha's complexion is golden, like lightning; so Krishna wears
yellow apparel. Krishna's complexion is blue, like a dark cloud; so Radha
wears a blue dress; she has also decked herself with blue sapphires. Radha
has tinkling anklets; so Krishna has them too. In other words, there is inner
and outer harmony between Purusha and Prakriti."

As Sri Ramakrishna finished these words, Bankim and his friends began
to whisper in English.

MASTER (smiling, to Bankim and the others): "Well, gentlemen! What
are you talking about in English?"

ADHAR: "We are discussing what you have just said, your explanation of
Krishna's form."

MASTER (smiling): "That reminds me of a funny story. It makes me want
to laugh. Once a barber was shaving a gentleman. The latter was cut slightly
by the razor. At once he cried out, 'Damn!' But the barber didn't know the
meaning of the word. He put his razor and. other shaving articles aside, tucked
up his shirt-sleeves — it was winter —, and said: 'You said "damn" to me.
Now you must tell me its meaning.' The gentleman said: 'Don't be silly. Go
on with your shaving. The word doesn't mean anything in particular; but
shave a little more carefully.' But the barber wouldn't let him off so easily.
said, 'If "damn" means something good, then I am a "damn", my father
is a "damn", and all my ancestors are "damns". (All laugh.') But if it means
something bad, then you are a "damn", your father is a "damn", and all your
ancestors are "damns". (All laugh.) They are not only "damns", but "damn
— damn — damn — da-damn — damn".'" (Loud laughter.)

As the laughter stopped, Bankim began the conversation.

BANKIM: "Sir, why don't you preach?"

MASTER (smiling): "Preaching? It is only a man's vanity that makes him
think of preaching. A man is but an insignificant creature. It is God alone
who will preach — God who has created the sun and moon and so illumined
the universe. Is preaching such a trifling affair? You cannot preach unless
God reveals Himself to you and gives you the command to preach. Of
course, no one can stop you from preaching. You haven't received the command,
but still you cry yourself hoarse. People will listen to you a couple of
days and then forget all about it. It is like any other sensation: as long as
you speak, people will say, 'Ah! He speaks well'; and the moment you stop,
everything will disappear.

"The milk in the pot hisses and swells as long as there is heat under it.
Take away the heat, and the milk will quiet down as before.

"One must increase one's strength by sadhana; otherwise one cannot
preach. As the proverb goes: 'You have no room to sleep yourself and you
invite a friend to sleep with you.' There is no place for you to lie down and
you say: 'Come, friend! Come and lie down with me.' (Laughter.)

"Some people used to befoul the bank of the Haldarpukur at Kamarpukur
every morning. The villagers would notice it and abuse the offenders. But
that didn't stop it. At last the villagers filed a petition with the Government.
An officer visited the place and put up a sign: 'Commit no nuisance. Offenders
fenders will be punished.' That stopped it completely. Afterwards there was
no more trouble. It was a government order, and everyone had to obey it.

"Likewise, if God reveals Himself to you and gives you the command,
then you can preach and teach people. Otherwise, who will listen to you?"

The visitors were listening seriously.

MASTER (to Bankim): "I understand you are a great pundit and have
written many books. Please tell me what you think about man's duties?
What will accompany him after death? You believe in the hereafter, don't you?"

BANKIM: "The hereafter? What is that?"

MASTER: "True. When a man dies after attaining Knowledge, he doesn't
have to go to another plane of existence; he isn't born again. But as long as
he has not attained Knowledge, as long as he has not realized God, he must
come back to the life of this earth; he can never escape it. For such a person
there is a hereafter. A man is liberated after attaining Knowledge, after
realizing God. For him there is no further coming back to earth. If a boiled
paddy-grain is sown, it doesn't sprout. Just so, if a man is boiled by the
fire of Knowledge, he cannot take part any more in the play of creation; he
cannot lead a worldly life, for he has no attachment to 'woman and gold'.
What will you gain by sowing boiled paddy?"

BANKIM (smiling): "Sir, neither does a weed serve the purpose of a tree.
MASTER: "But you cannot call a jnani a weed. He who has realized God
has obtained the fruit of Immortality — not a common fruit like a gourd or a
pumpkin. He is free from rebirth. He is not born anywhere — on earth, in
the solar world, or in the lunar world.

"Analogy is one-sided. You are a pundit; haven't you read logic? Suppose
you say that a man is as terrible as a tiger. That doesn't mean that he has a
fearful tail or a tiger's pot-face! (All laugh.)

"I said the same thing to Keshab. He asked me, 'Sir, is there an after-life?'
I didn't commit myself either way. I said that the potters put their pots in
the sun to bake. Among them you see both baked and soft pots. Sometimes
cattle trample over them. When the baked pots are broken, the potters throw
them away; but when the soft ones are broken they keep them. They mix
them with water and put the clay on the wheel and make new pots. They
don't throw away the unbaked pots. So I said to Keshab: 'The Potter won't
let you go as long as you are unbaked. He will put you on the wheel of
the world as long as you have not attained Knowledge, as long as you have
not realized Him. He won't let you go. You will have to return to the earth
again and again: there is no escape. You will be liberated only when you
realize God. Then alone will the Potter let you go. It is because then you
won't serve any purpose in this world of maya.' The jnani has gone beyond
maya. What will he do in this world of maya?

"But God keeps some jnanis in the world of maya to be teachers of men.
In order to teach others the jnani lives in the world with the help of
vidyamaya. It is God Himself who keeps the jnani in the world for His
work. Such was the case with Sukadeva and Sankaracharya.

(To Bankim, smiling) "Well, what do you say about man's duties?"

BANKIM (smiling): "If you ask me about them, I should say they are
eating, sleeping, and sex-life."

MASTER (sharply): "Eh? You are very saucy! What you do day and night
comes out through your mouth. A man belches what he eats. If he eats
radish, he belches radish; if he eats green coconut, he belches green coconut.
Day and night you live in the midst of 'woman and gold'; so your mouth
utters words about that alone. By constantly thinking of worldly things a
man becomes calculating and deceitful. On the other hand, he becomes
guileless by thinking of God. A man who has seen God will never say what
you have just said. What will a pundit's scholarship profit him if he does
not think of God and has no discrimination and renunciation? Of what use
is erudition if the mind dwells on 'woman and gold'?

"Kites and vultures soar very high indeed, but their gaze is fixed only on
the charnel-pit. The pundit has no doubt studied many books and scriptures;
he may rattle off their texts, or he may have written books. But if he is
attached to women, if he thinks of money and honour as the essential things,
will you call him a pundit? How can a man be a pundit if his mind does
not dwell on God?

Some may say about the devotees: 'Day and night these people speak
shout God. They are crazy; they have lost their heads. But how clever we
are. How we enjoy pleasure — money, honour, the senses!' The crow, too
thinks he is a clever bird; but the first thing he does when he wakes up in
the early morning is to fill his stomach with nothing but others' filth.
Haven't you noticed how he struts about? Very clever indeed!"

There was dead silence.

Sri Ramakrishna continued: "But like the swan are those who think of
God, who pray day and night to get rid of their attachment to worldly things
and their love for 'woman and gold', who do not enjoy anything except the
nectar of the Lotus Feet of the Lord, and to whom worldly pleasures taste
bitter. If you put a mixture of milk and water before the swan, it will leave
the water and drink only the milk. And haven't you noticed the gait of a
swan? It goes straight ahead in one direction. So it is with genuine devotees:
they go toward God alone. They seek nothing else; they enjoy nothing else.

(Tenderly, to Bankim) "Please don't take offence at my words."

BANKIM: "Sir, I haven't come here to hear sweet things."

MASTER (to Bankim):" 'Woman and gold' alone is the world; that alone
is maya. Because of it you cannot see or think of God. After the birth of one
or two children, husband and wife should live as brother and sister and talk
only of God. Then both their minds will be drawn to God, and the wife will
be a help to the husband on the path of spirituality. None can taste divine
bliss without giving up his animal feeling. A devotee should pray to God to
help him get rid of this feeling. It must be a sincere prayer. God is our
Inner Controller; He will certainly listen to our prayer if it is sincere.

"And 'gold'. Sitting on the bank of the Ganges below the Panchavati, I
used to say, 'Rupee is clay and clay is rupee.' Then I threw both into the
Ganges."

BANKIM: "Indeed! Money is clay! Sir, if you have a few pennies you can
help the poor. If money is clay, then a man cannot give in charity or do good to others."

MASTER (to 'Bankim'): "Charity! Doing good! How dare you say you can
do good to others? Man struts about so much; but if one pours foul water
into his mouth when he is asleep, he doesn't even know it; his mouth overflows
with it. Where are his boasting, his vanity, his pride, then?

"A sannyasi must give up 'woman and gold'; he cannot accept it any
more. One must not swallow one's own spittle. When a sannyasi gives something
to another, he knows that it is not himself who gives. Kindness belongs
to God alone. How can a man lay claim to it? Charity depends on the will
of Rama. A true sannyasi renounces 'woman and gold' both mentally and
outwardly. He who eats no molasses must not even keep molasses about. If
he does, and yet tells others not to eat it, they won't listen to him.

"A householder, of course, needs money, for he has a wife and children.
He should save up to feed them. They say that the bird and the sannyasi
should not provide for the future. But the mother bird brings food in her
mouth for her chicks; so she too provides. A householder needs money He
has to support his family.

"If a householder is a genuine devotee he performs his duties without
attachment; he surrenders the fruit of his work to God. — his gain or loss, his
pleasure or pain — and day and night he prays for devotion and for nothing
else. This is called motiveless work, the performance of duty without
attachment. A sannyasi, too, must do all his work in that spirit of detachment; but
he has no worldly duties to attend to, like a householder.

"If a householder gives in charity in a spirit of detachment, he is really
doing good to himself and not to others. It is God alone that he serves —
God, who dwells in all beings; and when he serves God, he is really doing
good to himself and not to others. If a man thus serves God through all
beings, not through men alone but through animals and other living beings
as well; if he doesn't seek name and fame, or heaven after death; if he
doesn't seek any return from those he serves; if he can carry on his work of
service in this spirit — then he performs truly selfless work, work without
attachment. Through such selfless work he does good to himself. This is
called karmayoga. This too is a way to realize God. But it is very difficult,
and not suited to the Kaliyuga.

"Therefore I say, he who works in such a detached spirit — who is kind
and charitable — benefits only himself. Helping others, doing good to others
— this is the work of God alone, who for men has created the sun and
moon, father and mother, fruits, flowers, and corn. The love that you see in
parents is God's love: He has given it to them to preserve His creation. The
compassion that you see in the kind-hearted is God's compassion: He has
given it to them to protect the helpless. Whether you are charitable or not,
He will have His work done somehow or other. Nothing can stop His work.

"What then is man's duty? What else can it be? It is just to take refuge in
God and to pray to Him with a yearning heart for His vision.

"Sambhu said to me: 'It is my desire to build a large number of hospitals
and dispensaries. Thus I can do much good to the poor.' I said to him: 'Yes,
that is not bad if you can do it in a detached spirit. But to be detached is
very difficult unless you sincerely love God. And further, if you entangle
yourself in many activities, you will be attached to them in a way unknown
to yourself. You may think you have no motive behind your work, but
perhaps there has already grown a desire for fame and the advertising of
your name. Then again, if you are entangled in too many activities, the
pressure of them will make you forget God.' I also said to him: 'Sambhu, let
me ask you one thing. If God appears before you, will you want Him or a
number of hospitals and dispensaries?' If one realizes God, one doesn't
enjoy anything else. One who has tasted syrup of sugar candy cannot enjoy
a drink made from common treacle.

'Those who build hospitals and dispensaries, and get pleasure from that,
are no doubt good people; but they are of a different type. He who is a real
devotee of God seeks nothing but God. If he finds himself entangled in too
much work, he earnestly prays, 'Lord, be 'gracious and reduce my work; my
mind, which should think of Thee day and night, has been wasting its
power; it thinks of worldly things alone.' Pure-souled devotees are in a class
by themselves. You cannot have real love of God unless you know that God
alone is real and all else illusory. You cannot have real love of God unless
you know that the world is impermanent, only of two days' existence, while
its Creator alone is real and eternal.

"Janaka and sages like him worked in the world at the command of God.

(To Bankim) "Some people think that God cannot be realized without
the study of books and scriptures. They think that first of all one should
learn of this world and its creatures; that first of all one should study
'science'. (All laugh.) They think that one cannot realize God without first
understanding His creation. Which comes first, 'science' or God? What do
you say?"

BANKIM: "I too think that we should first of all know about the different
things of the world. How can we know of God without knowing something
of this world? We should first learn from books."

MASTER: "That's the one cry from all of you. But God comes first and
then the creation. After attaining God you can know everything else, if it is necessary.

"If you can somehow get yourself introduced to Jadu Mallick, then you
will be able to learn, if you want to, the number of his houses and gardens
and the amount of his money invested in government securities. Jadu
Mallick himself will tell you all about them. But if you haven't met him
and if you are stopped by his door-keepers when you try to enter his house,
then how will you get the correct information about his houses, gardens,
and government securities? When you know God you know all else; but
then you don't care to know small things. The same thing is stated in the
Vedas. You talk about the virtues of a person as long as you haven't seen
him, but no sooner does he appear before you than all such talk stops. You
are beside yourself with joy simply to be with him. You feel overwhelmed by
simply conversing with him. You don't talk about his virtues any more.

"First realize God, then think of the creation and other things. Valmiki
was given the name of Rama to repeat as his mantra, but was told at first
to repeat 'mara'. 'Ma' means God and 'ra' the world. First God and then the
world. If you know one you know all. If you put fifty zeros after a one, you
have a large sum; but erase the one and nothing remains. It is the one that
makes the many. First one, then many. First God, then His creatures and
the world.

"The one thing you need is to realize God. Why do you bother so much
about the world, creation, 'science', and all that? Your business is to eat
mangoes. What need have you to know how many hundreds of trees there
are in the orchard, how many thousands of branches, and how many millions
of leaves? You have come to the garden to eat mangoes. Go and eat them.
Man is born in this world to realize God; it is not good to forget that and
divert the mind to other things. You have come to eat mangoes. Eat the
mangoes and be happy."

BANKIM: "Where do we get the mangoes?"

MASTER: "Pray to God with a longing heart. He will surely listen to your
prayer if it is sincere. Perhaps He will direct you to holy men with whom
you can keep company; and that will help you on your spiritual path.
Perhaps someone will tell you, 'Do this and you will attain God.'"

BANKIM: "Who? The guru? He enjoys all the good mangoes himself and
gives us the bad ones!" (Laughter.)

MASTER: "Why should that be so? The mother, knows what food suits the
stomachs of her different children. Can all of them digest pilau and kalia?
Suppose a fish has been procured. The mother doesn't give pilau and kalia
to all the children. For the weak child with a poor stomach she prepares
simple soup. But does that mean she loves him the less?

"One must have faith in the guru's words. The guru is none other than
Satchidananda. God Himself is the Guru. If you only believe his words like
a child, you will realize God. What faith a child has! When a child's mother
says to him about a certain man, 'He is your brother', the child believes he
really is his brother. The child believes it one hundred and twenty-five per
cent, though he may be the son of a brahmin, and the man the son of a
blacksmith. The mother says to the child, 'There is a bugaboo in that room',
and the child really believes there is a bugaboo in the room. Such is the
faith of a child! One must have this childlike faith in the guru's words. God
cannot be realized by a mind that is hypocritical, calculating, or
argumentative. One must have faith and sincerity. Hypocrisy will not do. To the
sincere, God is very near; but He is far, far away from the hypocrite.

"One must have for God the yearning of a child. The child sees nothing
but confusion when his mother is away. You may try to cajole him by
putting a sweetmeat in his hand; but he will not be fooled. He only says,
'No, I want to go to my mother.' One must feel such yearning for God. Ah,
what yearning! How restless a child feels for his mother! Nothing can make
him forget his mother. He to whom the enjoyment of worldly happiness
appears tasteless, he who takes no delight in anything of the world — money,
name, creature comforts, sense pleasure —, becomes sincerely grief-stricken
for the vision of the Mother. And to him alone the Mother comes running,
leaving all Her other duties.

"Ah, that restlessness is the whole thing. Whatever path you follow —
whether you are a Hindu, a Mussalman, a Christian, a Sakta, a Vaishnava,
or a Brahmo — the vital point is restlessness. God is our Inner Guide. It
doesn't matter if you take a wrong path — only you must be restless for Him.
He Himself will put you on the right path.

"Besides, there are errors in all paths. Everyone thinks his watch is right;
but as a matter of fact no watch is absolutely right. But that doesn't hamper
one's work. If a man is restless for God he gains the company of sadhus and
as far as possible corrects his own watch with the sadhus' help."

Trailokya of the Brahmo Samaj began to sing. Presently Sri Ramakrishna
stood up and lost consciousness of the outer world. He became completely
indrawn, absorbed in samadhi. The devotees stood around him in a circle.
Pushing aside the crowd, Bankim came near the Master and began to watch
him attentively. He had never seen anyone in samadhi.

After a few minutes Sri Ramakrishna regained partial consciousness and
began to dance in an ecstatic mood. It was a never-to-be-forgotten scene.
Bankim and his Anglicized friends looked at him in amazement. Was this
he God-intoxicated state? The devotees also watched him with wondering
eyes.

The singing and dancing over, the Master touched the ground with his
forehead, saying, "Bhagavata — Bhakta — Bhagavan! Salutations to the jnanis,
yogis, and bhaktas! Salutations to all!" He sat down again and all sat around him.

BANKIM (to the Master): "Sir, how can one develop divine love?"

MASTER: "Through restlessness — the restlessness a child feels for his
mother. The child feels bewildered when he is separated from his mother,
and weeps longingly for her. If a man can weep like that for God he can
even see Him.

"At the approach of dawn the eastern horizon becomes red. Then one
knows it will soon be sunrise. Likewise, if you see a person restless for God,
you can be pretty certain that he hasn't long to wait for His vision.

"A disciple asked his teacher, 'Sir, please tell me how I can see God.'
Come with me,' said the guru, 'and I shall show you.' He took the disciple
to a lake, and both of them got into the water. Suddenly the teacher pressed
the disciple's head under the water. After a few moments he released him
and the disciple raised his head and stood up. The guru asked him, 'How
did you feel?' The disciple said, 'Oh! I thought I should die; I was panting
for breath.' The teacher said, 'When you feel like that for God, then you
will know you haven't long to wait for His vision.'

(To Bankim) "Let me tell you something. What will you gain by floating
on the surface? Dive a little under the water. The gems lie deep under the
water; so what is the good of throwing your arms and legs about on the
surface? A real gem is heavy. It doesn't float; it sinks to the bottom. To get
the real gem you must dive deep."

BANKIM: "Sir, what can we do? We are tied to a cork.
It prevents us from diving." (All laugh.)

MASTER: "All sins vanish if one only remembers God. His name breaks the
fetters of death. You must dive; otherwise you can't get the gem. Listen to a song."

The Master sang in his sweet voice:

Dive deep, O mind, dive deep in the Ocean of God's Beauty;
If you descend to the uttermost depths,
There you will find the gem of Love.

Who is it that steers your boat across the solid earth?
It is your guru, says Kuhir;
Meditate on his holy feet.

All listened spellbound. Again Sri Ramakrishna began to talk.

MASTER (to Bankim): "There are some who do not want to dive. They
say, 'Won't we become deranged it we go to excess about God?' Referring
to those who are intoxicated with divine love, they say, 'These people have
lost their heads.' But they don't understand this simple thing: God is the
Ocean of Amrita, Immortality. Once I said to Narendra: 'Suppose there
were a cup of syrup and you were a fly. Where would you sit to drink the
syrup?' Narendra said, 'I would sit on the edge of the cup and stretch out
my neck to drink it.' 'Why?' I asked. 'What's the harm of plunging into
the middle of the cup and drinking the syrup?' Narendra answered, 'Then
I should stick in the syrup and die.' 'My child,' I said to him, 'that isn't the
nature of the Nectar of Satchidananda. It is the Nectar of Immortality. Man
does not die from diving into It. On the contrary he becomes immortal.'

"Therefore I say, dive deep. Don't be afraid. By diving deep in God one
becomes immortal."

Bankim bowed low before the Master. He was about to take his leave.

BANKIM: "Sir, I am not such an idiot as you may think. I have a prayer
to make. Please be kind enough to grace my house with the dust of your
holy feet."

MASTER: "That's nice. I shall go if God wills."

BANKIM: "There too you will see devotees of God."

MASTER (smiling): "How so? What kind of devotees are they? Are they
like those who said, 'Gopal! Gopal! Kesava! Kesava!'?" (All laugh.)

A DEVOTEE: "What is the story of 'Gopal', sir?"

MASTER (smiling): "Let me tell you. At a certain place there is a
gold-smith's shop. The workers there are known as pious Vaishnavas: they have
strings of beads around their necks, religious marks on their foreheads, and
bags containing rosaries in their hands. They repeat the names of God aloud.
One can almost call them sadhus; only they have to work as goldsmiths to
earn their bread and support their wives and children. Many customers,
hearing of their piety, come to the shop because they believe that in that
shop there will be no trickery with their gold or silver. When the customers
enter the shop, they see the workers repeating the name of Hari with their
tongues and doing their work with their hands. No sooner do the customers
take seats in the shop than one of the workers cries out, 'Kesava! Kesava!
Kesava!' A few minutes later another says, 'Gopal! Gopal! Gopal!' After they
talk a little while, the third man cries out, 'Hari! Hari! Hari!' In the mean
time the customers have almost finished their transactions. Then the fourth
exclaims, 'Hara! Hara! Hara!' The customers are very much impressed with
the devotion and fervour of the owners and feel themselves quite secure in
handing them the money. They are sure they won't be cheated.

"But do you know what lies behind all this? The man who says 'Kesava!
Kesava!1
after the arrival of the customers means, 'Who are they?' In other
words, he wants to know how intelligent they are. The man who says
'Gopal! Gopal!' means to say he finds them no better than a herd of cows.
The man saying 'Hari! Hari!' means, 'May I rob them?'; he suggests that
since they are like a herd of cows they can be robbed. And the last man,
who says 'Hara! Hara!', replies, 'Yes, rob them.' He means that since the
customers are like a herd of cows, they can certainly be robbed. Here, too,
you see a group of pious men, very much devoted to God!" (All laugh.)

Bankim took his leave; but he was absent-minded. When he reached the
door he discovered that he had dropped his shawl in the room; he was in
his shirt-sleeves. A gentleman handed him his shawl.

Of the devotees at Adhar's house, Sarat2
and Sannyal were brahmins. But
Adhar belonged to the lower caste of the goldsmiths, and so the two brahmins
quickly left, lest they should be pressed by their host to take their meal
there. Sarat and Sannyal had been coming to the Master only a short, time
and did not know how fond the Master was of Adhar. The Master used to
say that the devotees formed a separate caste by themselves; among them
there could be no caste distinction.

Adhar entertained the Master and the devotees with a feast. It was quite
late in the evening when the devotees returned home, cherishing in their
hearts the image of the Master in his spiritual ecstasy and remembering his
words of great wisdom.

Since Bankim had invited Sri Ramakrishna to visit his home, the Master
a few days later sent Girish and M. to his Calcutta residence. At that time
Bankim had a long discussion with these two devotees about the Master. He
told them that he wanted to visit Sri Ramakrishna again. But his desire was
not fulfilled.